Safety ash tray



Oct. 26, 1943.

SAFETY ASH TRAY FiledMarch 19, 1942 g I /Y/ i Q 7 1 V r 7 a '1 Z3 245% v 19 J JAY B. REES Patented Oct. 26, 1943 3,} UNITED sTATEs FATE SAFETY ASH TRAY Jay E. Rees, Piqua; Ohio Application March 19, 1942, Serial No. 435,403 1 Claim. 1 (Cl. 131-240) This invention relates generally to ash receivers and more particularly to an improved safety ash tray.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide ash tray wherein a plurality of knobs areeinployed for reducing the area of contactofa cigarette with the supporting surface therefor withthe result that free flow of air about the major portion of the cigarette, for

carrying off moisture produced by combustion, will bepermitted and. the cigarette will not be allowed 'to become extinguished due to the presence of such moisture.

Another object of thewinvention is to provide a device of this character wherein the knobs serve toposition a burning cigarette at rest in such a manner that cooling of .said cigarette, such as might be caused by conduction of heat from said cigarette to a supporting surface, will not take place. i a

A further object of the invention is to proa vide a safety ash tray wherein means is employed for defining a trough or trench for receiving a cigarette and retaining said cigarette against dislodgment.

Still another objector the invention is to provide an ash receiver of this character which is extremely simple inconstruction and which will be highly eificient inuse.

Further objects of the invention, not specifically mentioned hereinbefore, will become ap parent during the course of the following description;

In the drawing:

Figure is a top plan view of my improved ash tray,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, a

Figure 5 is a top plan view showing a modified embodiment of the invention,

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View on the line 66 of Figure 5, and 1 Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view on the line I -l of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and, first, to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 4 thereof, the numeral l indicates in general the body of my improved safety ash tray. The body I is formed of metal, porcelain, or other suitable material, and may be of. any desired size. Also, it should be understood that, although I have shown the body as being of circular shape, it can be of any other desired shape. The body I includes a flat bot tom wall 2 and an'annular side wall 3. An an nularrim 4 is providedior spacing the body slightly above a supporting surface. i

Formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 2 and extending throughout the central portion thereof is a substantially frusto-pyramidal standard 5. The standard 5 includes opposite side walls '6 and l and a fiat/top wall 8, and. formed on said side walls 6 and "1, respectively, are series of supporting webs 9 and H3. "As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the webs are inseries of three and are laterally spaced along the walls 6 and 7. Moreover, said webs each have tapered side wallsll and a flat top wall l2.

Formed on theouter end portionof the top wall l2 ofreach of the webs is a relatively large retaining knob 13', and formed on the flat upper surface of the. wall l2, between the knob 13 and the' nearest edge ofthe top wa1l8 are relatively small supporting knobs M which are preferably three in number. :In this connection it. is de-- siredto point out that corresponding knobs M on the webs 9 and i0 are in alinement and, also;

that, although I-have show-n butthree of the supporting knobs; moreof them-may beemployed if desired- The number of knobs would, of course-depend to some extent upon the size and number of the webs employed. That is to say, although the series of webs 9 and I0 each consist of three webs it may be found practicable to use a, greater or less number of webs.

The knobs l3 and I4 cooperate to define channels l5, the purpose for which will be set forth in more detail hereinafter. Also, the innermost knobs cooperate with the confronting edge of the top wall 8 to define a channel It which is similar in function to the channels I5. In this connection it is desiredto point outthat, as best seen in Figure 2, the surface of the top wall 8 is in substantially the same horizontal plane with the upper ends of the retaining knobs l3. Thus, said top wall cooperates with said retaining knobs to define a relatively wide trough which would serve the purpose of preventing accidental displace+ ment of a cigarette, such as is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, from its position at rest on the ash tray. It should be understood that the se--' ries of webs 9 are adapted for supporting a cigarette while another may be supported on the knobs formed on the top walls of the webs l0.

While it is thought that the manner of using my improved ash tray will be understood from the foregoing description, a brief discussion on of air to pass about practically'the entire cigarette so that moisture, produced by combustion, will be carried away. Thus, extinguishing of the cigarette such as might take place if the moisture were allowed to remain, will not occur. Also, due to the fact that the Webs are spaced apart and are provided with inclined walls, ashes from the burning cigarette will be permitted. to fall tothe bottom of the tray. Thus, maximum convenience and: cleanliness is assured.

It is desired to emphasize thefact that as the retaining'knobs l3 are of greater height than the supporting knobs M, said, retaining knobs will cooperate with the side edges of the wall 8 :for defining a retaining trench or trough for preventing displacement of the cigarette after it has been placed in position.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawing, I have shown a slightly modified embodiment of the inventionl In these views,- the bodyof the ash tray is shown at I7, said body being formed of metal or other suitable'material and having an integral curved sidewall I8 and a flat bottom wall It.

Mounted on the upper surface of the bottom wall l9 are standards which are substantially rectangular in shape. fI'he embodiment shown in Figure 5 is designed to accommodate three of the standards 20', one complete standard and a portion of another being shown. It should be understood, howeventhat a greater or less number of the standards may be employed, depending upon the size ofthe ash tray. As shown in Fig ure 7, the standard 20 is held in place by screws 2| which are extended upwardly through the bottom wall into said standard. 'It is desired to'point out that, if desired, the standard may be molded integrally with the bottom wall in which case no screws would be needed. The standard 20, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in-

eluded curved side and end walls 22 and 23 and, also, a pair of transversely extending troughs 24 which cooperate to define three supporting ribs 25, 26 and 21. Each of the supporting ribs is formed with a pair of relatively small upstanding supporting knobs 28 and, at its outer ends, with relatively large retaining knobs 29 and 39. As will be seen in Figure 6, all of the knobs cooperate to define channels 3|.

In use, a cigarette is placed on the knobs 23, as shown in Figure 6, and, when this is done, said knobs will effectively support the cigarette so that its burning ash may drop safely to the bottom of the tray or into the troughs 24. The troughs 24 cooperate with the channels 33 for permitting circulation of air about the major portion of the cigarette so that complete com bustion thereof may take place. As in the first described embodiment of the invention, the knobs permit air fiow to reach the burning end portion of the cigarette so that moisture formed thereabout may be carried 01f. The relatively large knobs 28 and 3!! will function to prevent displacement of a cigarette after the same has been placed at rest on the tray. 1

It is desired particularly to emphasize that, in both embodiments of my invention, any suitable number of standards may be employed and, also, any desired number of knobs and channels may be used. The device may be made in various sizes and shapes and of any suitable material.

It is thought that the construction and operation of my invention will now be thoroughly understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A safety ash tray comprising a dish-shaped body having a circumscribing rim and a fiat bottom provided with an upstanding substantially frusto-pyramidal standard spaced inwardly from said rim and having its opposite side walls pro vided with integral laterally extending reinforcing webs spaced apart to form intermediate air passages, the upper portions of the webs at the outer ends thereof being fashioned to form retaining knobs and. the upper portions of the webs between said retaining knobs and the top of the standard being provided with spaced supporting knobs of less size than said retaining knobs.

JAY B. REES. 

